Ben Vierra manages the Pacific Northwest domain (NEON divides the
country into 20 ecoclimatic domains) that includes both aquatic
and terrestrial
sites. The bulk of the work performed by the 11 temporary field
technicians and six permanent staff in his domain occurs during the
growing season when plant life is active and there is an uptick in
animal and insect life.

On any given day, they may be sent out to collect water samples for
chemical analysis, collect invertebrate and algae samples, survey plant
diversity, measure tree height and diameter, dig up soil samples or
collect beetles, small mammals or mosquitoes. And that is in addition to
the associated required lab work.

“The temporary field technicians are well-educated, talented and work
hard for a project they find meaningful and hopefully advantageous to
advancing their careers,” Vierra said.

One of the regions using the largest number of field technicians is in
Alaska, where Battelle hired about 40 people last year to assist the
nine full-time researchers, said domain field operations manager Chris
Baird. This domain—with eight different sites collecting arctic data—has
the most to do during the shortest time because the growing season is so
short.

The work has its unique challenges with conditions ranging from
beautiful, warm, summer days to cold, rainy, snowy days with wind
blowing off the sea ice, and getting acclimated to near 24-hour daylight
during the summer. Travel is difficult in the remote tundra landscape
with limited roads and communication. One would expect polar bears to be
a challenge—and they are—but mosquitoes also present another vexing
problem.

“They are incredibly dense,” Baird said. “There are swarms of them. Many
people are surprised to learn that Alaska collects more mosquitoes than
any other site in the observatory network.” The network collects
mosquito population data, DNA and pathogen status of mosquitoes across
the U.S.

Baird said when hiring the technicians they target college students and
recent college graduates in the environmental sciences, biology,
ecology, geology and wildlife management. “But we also have some from
the humanitarian fields like English who have an interest in science and
want to live out in the bush,” he said. “We have some who have come back
all three years and they come out with a really well-rounded experience
that allows them to do a variety of work that helps them in their
decision making on what type of work they ultimately want to pursue.”

Temporary field technician work across the continent falls into three
general areas:

Fauna technicians who conduct protocols in the collection of
beetles, ticks, mosquitoes and small mammals.

Noelle Tom-Wigfield, who has a degree in wildlife ecology and management
from the University of Maryland, has worked a number of seasons at
several domains including one in Utah and another in the Pacific
Northwest. She said the work is rewarding and there is a strong team
mentality.

She takes pride in the over-arching goal of the NEON program. “I’m
looking forward to 15 years from now to see where the program is at,
especially since it’s still so early right now,” she said. “It’s really
exciting to be a part of it.”

The NEON
program, managed by Battelle
for the National
Science Foundation, is a continental-scale ecological observation
facility thatcollects and provides open data from 81 field sites across
the United States that characterize and quantify how our nation's
ecosystems are changing.The data will contribute to a better
understanding and more accurate forecasting of how human activities
impact ecosystems and how society can more effectively address critical
ecological questions and issues. The data is available for any
researcher to use. Learn more at neonscience.org.

About Battelle

Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to
solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national
laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and
development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical
services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in
Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle serves the national
security, health and life sciences, and energy and environmental
industries. For more information, visit www.battelle.org.

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